Devils discussion (news, notes and speculation) - part V

[Whaddagoal]

they're 4-2 since the deadline and had not lost a game when leading heading to the third all season....

I get you're placing that into context, I'm hoping you're right and its a "one off" where we lost in the 3rd like that after a lead -- I'm just saying I lost a little faith recently from backbreaker losses they have gotten into (prior to the deadline).

That last one.
The dallas one
The other few (Philly or SJ earlier in season).

 

[Bleedred]

Great! Lazar is back and on the ice!

Just what we need. The biggest crater from Monday night and pretty much the last several months.

 

[Whaddagoal]

Amanda said Lazar was back on the ice today.

So Palat is either out again, or x-rays came back negative.

 

[Satans Hockey]

It's the "Tell your family and loved ones you're insane and desperately seek help without saying a word hat giveaway night"

Show your bipolar diagnosis or your Benzodiazepines prescription and get two!

It's not that serious lol

 

[JimEIV]

It's not that serious lol

Would you wear that hat anywhere that there was even a slight possibility that someone might see you?

 

[JimEIV]

Great! Lazar is back and on the ice!

Just what we need. The biggest crater from Monday night and pretty much the last several months.

Lazar and Bastian shouldn't even be ticket takers for this organization.

 

[Satans Hockey]

Would you wear that hat anywhere that there was even a slight possibility that someone might see you?

I'm gonna wear it tonight so about 16k people will see me, I'll be ok lol

 

[JimEIV]

I'm gonna wear it tonight so about 16k people will see me, I'll be ok lol

I guess in the arena....but don't go outside with it on, Newark's finest might pick you up and bring you to University Behavioral Health Care

 

[NJersey]

Nemec and Tatar getting scratched tonight

 

[JimEIV]

I think I'm going to go to the gym today for the first time in roughly a month.

Should be fun.

I wish I had one of those hats as an excuse for my absence.

 

[JimEIV]

Nemec and Tatar getting scratched tonight

It's just a formality...is scratched or playing 4 shifts any difference?

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

I get you're placing that into context, I'm hoping you're right and its a "one off" where we lost in the 3rd like that after a lead -- I'm just saying I lost a little faith recently from backbreaker losses they have gotten into (prior to the deadline).

That last one.
The dallas one
The other few (Philly or SJ earlier in season).

the SJ loss was like 4 months ago

its a long season. There will be heartbreaking losses and great wins. No sense getting caught up in one or two games here or there.

 

[Bleedred]

Lazar and Bastian shouldn't even be ticket takers for this organization.

Bastian is fine. I absolutely don’t want him re-signed, but I don’t understand why people really don’t like him, other than he has limited skill and health.

Lazar is probably the worst player on this team this year and his game on Monday was insanely bad. I can’t believe it didn’t even earn him a healthy scratch. It was just an injury scratch.

 

[HersheyBob27]

Tatar was feisty last game not sure why he is out

 

[JimEIV]

Bastian is fine. I absolutely don’t want him re-signed, but I don’t understand why people really don’t like him, other than he has limited skill and health.

Lazar is probably the worst player on this team this year and his game on Monday was insanely bad. I can’t believe it didn’t even earn him a healthy scratch. It was just an injury scratch.

I don't like Bastian because he's soft. He takes more punishment than he gives and provides no energy to the 4th line ..if you're big , can't score, don't really play all that physical and take 3 or 4 monster hits a year without giving a single one.... you're pretty much useless.

t least that's how I see it.

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

it took a season longer than i expected but i was right about Lazar eventually. He’s a good energy guy when the rest of the team can pick up the slack, but he shouldn’t be near any lineup where he isn’t the 12th best forward.

I love the guy and good room guys/pk soecialists have value, but you could put him with Jack and Bratt for 82 games and he would probably struggle to score 10 goals. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that a team with Stefan Noesen at 36 points and 6th overall in team scoring is struggling to close out games. We’re witnessing a new NHL era (or a return to an old one?) where sometimes you have to suck it up and win a barn burner. Can’t be icing Macdermid, Bastian, and Lazar (and Dowling and Tatar and Haula…(and Palat…)) most nights in a league like that.

 

[forceten]

Canes just rattled off their 8th straight win. We're going to get f***ing smoked in the playoffs, are we not?

Depressing shit season, even in a "winning" year.

The one thing I can say is that there is a truth to the idea that you can peak too soon. They were struggling as badly as we were, and then turned it on. When they were at around 6 in a row we were at 4-1 in 5.... would've been 5 of 6 had we not blown Calgary. Now they're at 8... but more likely than not they'll have a down spell at a time they'd prefer not to.

 

[HoliksGhost]

Tatar was feisty last game not sure why he is out

Great but he can’t freakin score

 

[HoliksGhost]

I don't like Bastian because he's soft. He takes more punishment than he gives and provides no energy to the 4th line ..if you're big , can't score, don't really play all that physical and take 3 or 4 monster hits a year without giving a single one.... you're pretty much useless.

t least that's how I see it.

Gets a breakaway you know it’s not a goal

 

[JimEIV]

it took a season longer than i expected but i was right about Lazar eventually. He’s a good energy guy when the rest of the team can pick up the slack, but he shouldn’t be near any lineup where he isn’t the 12th best forward.

I love the guy and good room guys/pk soecialists have value, but you could put him with Jack and Bratt for 82 games and he would probably struggle to score 10 goals. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that a team with Stefan Noesen at 36 points and 6th overall in team scoring is struggling to close out games. We’re witnessing a new NHL era (or a return to an old one?) where sometimes you have to suck it up and win a barn burner. Can’t be icing Macdermid, Bastian, and Lazar (and Dowling and Tatar and Haula…(and Palat…)) most nights in a league like that.

The 25 point career year last year fooled a lot of people.

I agree 100% with second part on scoring ..one caveat is I think it's two fold...Our bottom 6 is void of any real scoring ability and our top 6 doesn't do enough to elevated any of the bottom 6 gap.

We definitely need more balanced scoring but that doesn't completely address the mediocrity of the top 6 wingers goal scoring output.

 

[Eggtimer]

Lazar and Bastian shouldn't even be ticket takers for this organization.

Add Haula to those two. Maybe even Mercer

 

[JimEIV]

Add Haula to those two. Maybe even Mercer

Haula and Palat before Mercer...but now we're up to Bastian, Lazar, Tatar, Haula, Palat, Mcdermid....

I don't know at least Mercer has produced somewhat in the goal scoring department over the last two years while being stuck in the talentless bottom 6. Actually, Mercer's 35 goals over the last two years is probably comparable to everyone else in the bottom 6 combined...so I think it's a little misguided mentioning his name? Seems like a baby with the bath water scenario.

 

[Lou Bloom]

Haula and Palat before Mercer...but now we're up to Bastian, Lazar, Tatar, Haula, Palat, Mcdermid....

I don't know at least Mercer has produced somewhat in the goal scoring department over the last two years while being stuck in the talentless bottom 6. Actually, Mercer's 35 goals over the last two years is probably comparable to everyone else in the bottom 6 combined...so I think it's a little misguided mentioning his name? Seems like a baby with the bath water scenario.

Mercer has averaged the 4th most 5v5 TOI and 6th most PP time among forwards this season and the 6th most 5v5 time and 6th most PP time among forwards last season.

You keep painting him as this player that's being let down by his teammates but he's been getting played a ton of minutes and consistently underperforming the past two seasons.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Mercer is just not a very good player. He’s too weak. He’s not skilled enough to suck so bad on the boards with zero physicality.

 

[JimEIV]

Mercer has averaged the 4th most 5v5 TOI and 6th most PP time among forwards this season and the 6th most 5v5 time and 6th most PP time among forwards last season.

You keep painting him as this player that's being let down by his teammates but he's been getting played a ton of minutes and consistently underperforming the past two seasons.

You left out 2nd most TOI 4v5 among forwards... he's being deployed in a defensive posture. His defensive zone starts are 60%...how much that means is debatable but no top 6 forward is over 53.8....he has been deployed as a pure bottom 6er with 1st unit PK and 2nd unit PP...and he's produced basically inline with that role in my opinion.

Mercer's 15 goals with his deployment is giganticly different/better than Palat's 13 playing with Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt for the majority of this season.